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Silver Spring, Md. (October 20, 2014) - Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms nationwide, announced today the return of its popular Leadership@Now webinar series.  Providing an opportunity to interact with a range of leaders focused on critical topics in education and offered to educators at no cost, the next installment of this series kicks off today, October 20 at 7 p.m. ET with a conversation on leadership in the age of connectedness. During this webinar, Tom Whitby and Steven Anderson, authors of The Relevant Educator: How Connectedness Empowers Learning, will discuss their own paths to connectedness, why it is necessary for school leaders to connect, and some of the most effective ways to build meaningful connections.

Topics and dates for future webinars in this series include:

• Redefining Literacy for Today's Learner, featuring Dr. Karen Beerer, Discovery Education's vice president of professional development and a former Pennsylvania teacher and administrator with more than 25 years of experience in education. In this webinar coming December 9 at 7 p.m. ET, Beerer will discuss new literacies - including visual literacy, digital literacy, 21st century literacy, and media literacy - and practical leadership strategies to help transform literacy instruction for today's learners.
• Pathways to the Digital Transition, featuring Dr. Johnna Weller, director of professional development at Discovery Education. Weller has over 20 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and supervisor of curriculum and instruction in Pennsylvania. On January 13 at 7 p.m. ET, Weller will connect technology integration to instructional practice using the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) framework.
• Thinking Outside the Bubble: Upgrading Student Assessments, featuring Kelly Pauling, director of professional development at Discovery Education and former Director of Curriculum Services at Pennsylvania's Colonial Intermediate Unit 20. On February 10 at 7 p.m. ET, Pauling will discuss how to empower students to take ownership of their own learning through relevant performance tasks.
• Indicators of Success - A Digital Administrators Walkthrough, featuring Dr. Carol Wetzel, Discovery Education's senior director of urban partnerships and a former educator and data coach.  On March 17 at 7 p.m. ET, Wetzel will look at what effective integration of technology to engage students in reaching learning targets looks like, feels like, and sounds like. She will also discuss how to lead educators towards the promise of the digital transition.
• What's Your Story - Sharing Your Site's Success, featuring Steve Dembo, Discovery Education's director of social media strategy and online community, and a former kindergarten teacher and school director of technology in Chicago. On April 14 at 7 p.m. ET, Dembo will explore ways to leverage student evangelists as a powerful marketing force for your institution. 
• Building Teacher Leadership - Lessons Learned, scheduled for May 13 at 7 p.m. ET. This webinar will gather educational leaders from around the nation who have embarked on the digital journey and explore what they did, what they wish they had known, and what they'll be repeating.

"The Leadership@Now webinar series offers participants a unique opportunity to hear from some of the most thought provoking voices in education," said Delsia Malone, principal at W.E. Striplin Elementary School in Alabama's Gadsden City Schools. "I'm looking forward to exploring the new topics in this valuable professional development opportunity and applying what I learn during these webinars to improve the learning experience for students at my school."

To more deeply engage educators in these critical topics, the Leadership@Now series invites webinar participants to use the Twitter hashtag #DENchat to further connect with presenters, and also with fellow participants interested in exploring these issues further.  More information and registration information for the Leadership@Now webinar series, as well as the archives of previous Leadership@Now webinars, can be found at http://www.discoveryeducation.com/leadershipnow.  

"Discovery Education is pleased to offer this latest installment of the Leadership@Now webinar series to educators around the world," said Scott Kinney, senior vice president at Discovery Education. "We look forward to not only continuing the dialogue on these important issues, but also surfacing new tactics and strategies for improving student outcomes that educators can immediately put into practice."

For more information about Discovery Education's Leadership@Now webinar series or other resources and services from Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.